Hell's Marshal

by Chris Barili

Gunfighter Frank Butcher is in Hell, and that's where he wants to stay. Unable to forgive himself for killing his father and his only son when he was alive, Frank wants nothing more than to spend eternity suffering. When the soul of Jesse James escapes from Hell and picks up where he left off in the old west, the judges of the underworld send Frank to bring him back. But James has a darker purpose than just robbery and trouble-making, meaning Frank and his misfit posse must send the killer back to Hell before he plunges the United States into war.

Genres: Horror

146 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2016

About the author

Chris Barili has been writing since he was fourteen years old. He is pursuing his Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Popular Genre Fiction, with Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, CO. His fiction has appeared on The Western Online (as T.C. Barlow), and in the anthologies "These Vampires Don't Sparkle" and "Zombiefied Reloaded" by Sky Warrior Books. Later this year, his work will appear in a third Sky Warrior anthology, "The Dragon's Hoard," as well as the anthology "Temporally Out of Order" by Zombies Need Brains LLC.

Reviews

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Hell's Marsal' by Chris Barili is a tale out of the Weird West combining gun fighting action and a bit of horror.

Frank Butcher is in Hell. The real one. His days are spent being tormented. Based on what he did to get there, he is okay with this. When the soul of Jesse James gets loose, Frank is sent to bring him back. Bringing Jesse back won't be easy, but with a small team of other tormented souls. They want redemption, but Frank just wants to go back to suffering. Jesse has other plans as well. Can Frank and his crew do the job?

It's an over the top story that's got a pulp feel to it, but that works. The characters are pretty interesting. It's weird that one of them comes back as a coyote, and the others as human, but the coyote also serves it's purpose. It looks like this is the beginning of a series, and it's not a bad premise. A fun quick story.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Stealth Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Julie Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hell's Marshal was an engaging riff on a popular theme, using Dante's Inferno as a launching pad for other adventures. Although Dante isn't mentioned specifically here, I'd just finished rereading the Divine Comedy and some of the hellish inhabitants seemed striking familiar.

I found Frank Butcher to be an interesting character since he made the unusual choice to stay in Hell even though he could be sent on to ... well, I'm not sure whether to Purgatory or Heaven. Theological questions aside, Frank's dogged pursuit of the escaped Jesse James makes for generally entertaining adventure. Ultimately, I found the focus on adventure and battles was the main emphasis, at the expense of a deeper story development. Problems were solved too easily and the human story was ignored in order to move the action along.

This book was provided by Net Galley. Obviously, my opinions were unswayed by that fact.

[Kaye Lynne Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading the Hell’s Butcher series by Chris Barili, Hell’s Marshal and Hell’s Butcher. This series is refreshingly different, a combination of western, speculative fiction and super hero, and somehow, it all works.
Hell’s Marshal is an entertaining tale with a refreshingly original story line. Although in a series, it could be stand alone story. Regardless of the one glitch found in the protagonist’s character arc, it is a fun read that keep the pages turning.

Read my full review on my blog:
https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/...

[Steve Visel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a theological treatise on hell, eternal punishment and the like, this is not the book for you. On the other hand , if you're looking for a dark Western featuring a not-quite-dead marshal trying to track down an undead Jesse James, then you're in the right place. Chris Barili's series hits all the right notes. It's a quick read with great characters, an historically accurate framework (other than the whole dead/undead thing), and an engaging storyline. If you haven't read the prequel Guilty, grab that one first. Hell's Marshal stands alone, but Guilty clarifies how Frank Butcher came to be in his current predicament.

[lovestoread · Rating 4 out of 5]

A western flair with a hint of horror, if you like a little death in the mix.

Frank is beating himself up something fierce and won't forgive himself for past actions, even though he's dead.

Jesse James and his crew of thieves have escaped from hell and Frank is just the Marshal to round them up and return them to hell. What a ride it is too!

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell's Marshal by Chris Barili is a fun romp from hell and back looking for Jesse James, the escaped Hell's prisoner. A group of Judges have sent Jesse on an unsanctioned mission that has gone wrong, Jesse doesn't follow rules and has no plans to come back. The judges decide to send Frank Butcher after him. Frank is a self-loathing man that feels he needs even more Hell so agrees if he is punished even more. Frank somehow got his father and son killed and feels he needs to suffer greatly even though he was pardoned for most of his sins. He feels he needs to suffer. For the trip back to Earth, he has to go in his old body, yes, the rotted one, but it will slowly reanimate he just needs to keep it covered until then. He is also given a 'team'. Oh boy, what a team! He even picks up more 'team' on the way. The story is a real hoot and I enjoyed it completely. It was good fun reading, unique, fast, crazy plot with lots of surprises and unusual characters you couldn't help but like, even the bad guys! It is a short book, just right for a quick read before bed, a few giggles to relax you. It ends leading you on wanting the next book and that is exactly what I plan to do! I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review and it in no way effected my review or rating.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: HELL' S MARSHAL by Chris Barili

JOHN WAYNE'S WILD WEST WAS NEVER LIKE THIS.

Frank Butcher endures his eternity in Hell, believing it righteous torment, if never atonement, for committing patricide and filicide. As agonizing as is the periodic fire, it's both justified and well-deserved, he is convinced. When the underworld' s judges convene and order him back to Earth, Frank Butcher demurs. But someone must capture the escaped soul of Jesse James, now inhabiting a living person, with a sizable and deadly agenda to accomplish. Enter "Hell' s Butcher."

"HELL' S MARSHAL" is well written, gritty, visual, and compelling horror. It is Book One in the HELL' S BUTCHER Series.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

** I received a free copy from NetGalley for an honest review**

I got right into this Western with a twist.
Frank Butcher is tasked to bring Jesse James' soul back to hell.
I bet the real wild west was never this much fun.
It was a pretty short book but it ticked all the boxes for the time we got to follow Frank and his gang out of hell and back to earth and the living.
I'm looking forward to the next adventure of Frank and his posse as they rise from hell to rundown whoever's next on their list.

[John Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever and unique read

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say a pleasant read but I do think that the book was a bit too short. I did enjoy it but wanted ot longer and more of the wild west

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This story was certainly different and was ok for a quick read.